British society has never been cleansed of the filth of imperialism.
From Salman Rushdie
Sometimes I think that when people become famous, there's a public perception that they are not human beings any more. They don't have feelings; they don't get hurt; you can act and say as you like about them.
I do think that there is such a thing as human nature, and that the things that we have in common are perhaps greater than the things that divide us.
When I'm writing a book, sentence by sentence, I'm not thinking theoretically. I'm just trying to work out the story from inside the characters I've got.
I don't like books that seem to want to teach me things. Which is not to say that one doesn't learn from books - but you do your own learning in your own way.
I would argue that religion comes from a desire to get to the questions of, 'Where do we come from?' and 'How shall we live?' And I would say I don't need religion to answer those questions.
When I'm writing books, something weird happens; and the result is the books contain a large amount of what you could call 'supernaturalism.' As a writer, I find I need that to explain the world I'm writing about.
I think that a lot of us, whether we are religious or not - there are no words to express some things except religious words. For instance, 'soul.'
The answer to religion is not no religion, but another way of thinking of it. Another way of being in it.
Writers have an opinion about the world and offer arguments about the world. They should offer contemplation.
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